Cooperation the mainstream of China-Europe ties -- Chinese premier

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, India, Sept. 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

NEW DELHI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday that the mainstream of China-Europe ties is cooperation, and the relations are win-win in nature.

In his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, Li also said that China and Europe, as two major forces in a multipolar world and two major engines of global development, should come together even closer and step up their cooperation.

He called on both sides to offset uncertainties in the international landscape with the stability of China-Europe relations.

China, Li said, stands ready to work with Europe in successfully hosting the China-EU Summit this year, deepen mutual trust and properly handle differences through communication and consultation, and jointly make more positive contributions to global peace and development.

Risk prevention as well as cooperation are not mutually exclusive, Li said, adding that people should not simply equate interdependence with insecurity, nor should they overstretch the concept of security and politicize economic issues.

China's development and openness bring opportunities, not risks, to Europe and the world, he noted.

The premier said China stands ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with Europe to enhance the reliability and stability of China-Europe economic and trade relations.

Li expressed the hope that the EU will uphold the principles of market economy and fair competition, keep its trade and investment markets open, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies to invest and operate in Europe.

China is willing to further deepen green partnership with Europe, strengthen dialogue and cooperation in such fields as clean energy and green finance, and provide support for developing countries in tackling climate change, he added.

For her part, Von der Leyen said that since the beginning of this year, exchanges between Europe and China have been continuously strengthened and yielded positive results.

The European side, she added, is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China in various fields to jointly tackle climate change and other global challenges. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, India, Sept. 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)